TRUE-SPIRIT LOGBOOK

The countdown is on and there are just a few days left before the unveiling of the EUROPA ROAD book.

I hope you can all make it to the opening!

Hey all of you True-Spirit Fans.
The summer is gone, and most of you are back at work,

And we have got some news for you.
The book EUROPA ROAD that was exclusively photographed with the NOKIA N95 is hot off the press.

Here are some making of pictures from Verona. My Hotel and the printingpress at Grafiche Duegi.

It's almost time to say goodbye. Continental flight CO39 heading for New York will leave Oslo in just a few hours.

and that's when reality will hit with a vengeance. Before that happens there's something I need to say, and that is, first of all:

THANK YOU  Chris for being such a great riding partner and knowledgeable, patient roadcaptain. ( I know it can get out of hands, when I stop every few minutes to take pictures and you have to keep reminding me how far we still have to go, sorry!)

A very special thanks to Sally, Rolando and Beda for their extended efforts coming along and helping with the filming on the road,

thanks to Jelena for all the hard work and the sleepless nights with programming the website

thanks to Myriam for running my office in my absence ,

thanks to my agents Tina, Bill, David, Anoush and Yoshiko for making sure I won't be out of work after this trip, 

and thanks to everyone who has been involved with this project, anyone who has encouraged or helped us along the way, either before or during the trip.

At this point I want to thank all the SPONSORS who have helped make this dream become reality, without which this would have not been possible.

Thanks to Nick at New York City Choppers ( www.nycchoppers.com) who has proved his craft by helping me put together one of the toughest and most dependable shovelhead rigid frames out there. 24 thousand kilometres on some hardcore roads in Albania, Russia , the former eastbloc and some of the scandinavian roads without any significant trouble!! (besides the clutchcable there was nothing major and that's just peanuts, the handle is probably machined to sharp.)

Thanks to Stefan at Overnight Kurier (www.overnight.ch) for the extended help with logistics and the chase-vehicle.

Thanks to Michi at Nokia (www.nokia.ch)  for believing in us and the True-Spirit project and for pursuing the idea of publishing a book with my pictures from the trip. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

Thanks to Jennifer Caruso-Schweizer and the whole sunrise team (www.sunrise.ch) for being our telecommunications partner, for making sure we are well connected in all of these 25 countries and making sure that the upload of the blog is working perfectly!

Thanks to Christoph Haas at Harley-Davidson Switzerland (www.harley-davidson.com) for their great support and  help with this project!

Thanks to POM at Sony (www.sony.ch) for providing us with the Videoequipment for this long period of time!

Thanks to Orhan from Jet (www.jetenergydrink.com) for giving us all the energy we need!

Thanks to American Spirit (www.slowsmoking.ch) for their support!

Thanks to Rayban for the eyeglasses (www.ray-ban.com) dropped one pair, but didn't even scratch my favourite pair!

Thanks to Victorinox (www.victorinox.com) and all the knives that proved to be great gifts on our trip!

Thanks to Hallwag, Kuemmerli & Frey ( www.swisstravelcenter.ch) for all the free maps covering the whole tour!

 

And of course i want to thank everyone that rode with us along the way,anyone welcoming us, anyone that provided us with a place to stay or fed us( two hungry fellas) and all of the people, who have supported us with their words or in their thoughts.

 

Stephan

 

p.s.

since there have been a lot of silent bloggers, i urge you to sign up on the main website (www.true-spirit.com ) so that we can be sure to inform you about the release of the book and the DVD, or any future project.

Here I am,  back in the real world, the world of planes, trains and automobiles, shopping malls, golf simulators, televisions and computers, back in a hectic, man-made world.

Step by step I slowly walk the streets like a patient just dismissed from a hospital, without orientation or goal. Merely a stranger to myself. Something really powerful has got a hold on me: the experience of being on the road for almost two and a half month all across Europe from the Southeast all the way to the Far North.

I can still smell the trees, the rain and the strawberry fields in Spain, I can taste the sun on my face, hear the rhythm of my shovelhead ringing in my ears and feel the vibrations of my rigid moving under my skin. In the far distance more than 24'000 kilometres away lay buried my everyday troubles, hundreds of roundabouts have helped getting my head straight back on again and the millions of trees we have passed have ensured plenty of oxygen for the rejuvenation of the brain, mind and soul. Yet, even though i was hoping that riding would put a new perspective on things, I still wonder, how come we put ourselves out on a limb? Seventy days of hardship, beauty and joy and that many days with all kinds questions on your mind and still, no answers!

The question is why?

find out for yourself.....

 

live your dreams

 

Stephan

I get a fast ride to Hamburg from the Northcape. Starting 19.30 friday night and take the train from Hamburg, departure sunday 20.45. Sleeping the hole way and I was in Basel Monday morning 06.45. Brothers from the Roadcrew MC pick me up. It's great to be back!

First of all it was a great and looooong ride, thanx again Stephan. (Stephan fly from Tromsö to NY for a job) You are really a crazy sucker with your rigid frame....My warmest thanks to Angie, Gas, Fara, Harry RCMC, Martin, Romy RCMC, Rolando RCMC to take care at home.

Thanx to all sponsors, special to Michi from Nokia and Orhan from JET Energy Drinks.

Thanx to HAMC Zurich and Hemi81, to the Hyeniets MC Bulgaria, to HD and HOG Istanbul, to HD and HOG Bari, to Indian Bikers South Italy, to Mickey81 and the Pura Vida Cycles, to HDC Andalucia Manolo and Peter, to HAMC Westport with Prospect Jos, Rebell81 and Mike81, to Jönke81, to Unde81, to HD Hamburg Nord, HAMC Nomads Finnland and Jack81, to HAMC Helsinki and Harrie81, to HAMC Stavanger Rocky81, Bo81 and Hangaround Rene, to HAMC Trondheim, to Antil MC Mo i Rana, to HAMC Tromsö, to Wolverines MC Alta.

Thanx Rolando RCMC, Lucky, Beda, Sally, Harry RCMC, Romy RCMC, Bruno RCMC, Cello, Maggie,Swiss & Antonella, Peter HDC Andalucia, Jack, John&David, Endre81 and 81 Prospect P.M to ride with us. It was a great plesure